bakerstreet | ❝mermaids & and land dwellers❞

❝mermaids & and land dwellers❞

mermaids & land dwellers
a possibly (au) mermaid ❝shipping❞ meme

Few fantastical creatures have captured the imaginations of those of us stuck in the mundane quite like mermaids. It's understandable: the ocean provides an endless canvas for us. Who knows what may live in those deep, seemingly endless depths? There's something intriguing about the mermaid, too, as a being that exists between two worlds. Beautiful human up top, dangerously alien down below, a mix between the comforting and the unknown. Such a combination is all very alluring, speaking perfectly of both the sense of freedom and adventure and and the impending doom offered by the high seas.

Because of the mystery and excitement provided by mermaids, people have been considering what the relationships between those who live on land and those who dwell in the sea would be like. For as long as there have been mer-tales, there have been stories of lucky or unlucky seafarers who earn the attention of mermaids. In some cautionary tales, merfolk are said to be little more than sirens who relish in driving sailors to their doom, luring them to the waters with gorgeous songs so that ships may be crashed, blood spilt, and flesh rend to fill the bellies of sea-demons. In other, more optimistic tales, there are lonely mermaids who fall in love with sailors, fishermen, and princes and will do anything to be with their objects of affections, even if it means turning to sea foam. Of course, earning a mermaid's love may not be better than becoming their prey; after all, in their ignorance of the children of earth, they may pull a person under the water and forget that air is a necessity for some.

Perhaps you are a human or other offspring of the land who has grown up with the tales of mermaids. You know that caution must be taken should you go on the ocean, lest you become nothing more than a meal. If you were in that situation, you would never fall for the merfolk's charms. However, that's so much easier said than done.

On the other hand, you could be a mermaid. Whether you are "good" or "bad" depends entirely on upbringing, just like with anyone else. Finally, you've come upon a land dweller. Will you be infatuated with them, look at them as a sweet morsel, or be more scared of them than they are of you?

how to play;

- Comment with your character and preferences. This meme allows for characters to be the one who lives on land or the mermaid. Feel free to do a mermaid AU for your character!
- Reply to others. Use the RNG to get your prompt.

prompts;

1.Good: Everything said about merfolks is wrong. They are reclusive, but not evil. Especially not this one. Maybe they even saved you. No matter what, they love you, absolutely. And, were you to be honest, it was love at first sight on your end, too. But that doesn't mean you can be together...at least, not easily.
2. Bad: Come, jolly sailor bold. Come into the arms of a mermaid, and you will not regret it. They will hold you, and you cannot resist, even as you're dashed against the rock.
3. Wild: Good and evil cannot be applied to mermaids here, for they are like any other wild creature, more beast than man. Yet the more they're exposed to the kindness of humans or others who live on land, the more fond they grow towards it - and those who show them that kindness.
4. Ignorant: The mermaid's intentions are good, yet he or she doesn't realize what they could do to hurt their land dweller lover.
5. The Mermaid Dilemma: What can be done if someone wants to do more with a mermaid than give them kisses or sweet words? Not much, it seems. At first glance, that is, though who knows what can happen if one puts their mind to it.
6. Not What Was Expected: Beauty is always expected of a mermaid, but what if such a creature looked more like this? Who could care for such a beast? Well, there's still charm there, and with enough personality, appearances can be looked past.

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Arthur rubbed his back sympathetically, letting himself be clung to as he waited for the human to properly catch his breath. "You'll be alright. Birds get down here, so there's open air." He knew air pockets that were sealed off ran out. That's what happened to humans trapped on their ships when they sank after all.

Alfred practically jumped out of his skin when he heard the creature speak. He swallowed, throat raw, but at least his panic subsided and was replaced by grateful weariness. He had himself puff out a few more breaths before he replied, just so he could spend more time breathing dry, albeit salty, air.

"You speak English!" he exclaimed. He obviously wasn't from the nearby isles. "You saved me! I... Birds? Oh... yes, they nest in caves like these with the absence of predators--" he reached up to adjust his specs, realizing that they were gone and that he'd have to replace them if this creature let him live... but he had to set his priorities in order first.

Looking at this creature, this... merman, Alfred also realized he'd seen him before in mere glimpses. He stared at him through the darkness, blinking, trying to focus. The glasses were so he could read, his eyesight was otherwise very good. What he could see of the merman, he was handsome and otherworldly.

"Are you sure I didn't die? Um--Thank you, in case I'm still alive," he added quickly, breathlessly.

Arthur huffed, telling himself it wasn't right to get angry at someone so out of sorts, even if his rescuing abilities were being questioned. "Of course you didn't die. If you had, I would have left you drifting instead of bringing you home, idiot."

Even annoyed though, few could deny that the merman was... well, rather pretty. With hair a pale gold and eyes like new sea grass, skin mostly untouched save for a rather nasty scar across his back. Which, of course, was hidden from the human for the moment. Folding his arms over his chest, he looked away. "You can stay here while you recover. I'll make sure you have enough food to eat."

"I just mean, the chance to speak to a merman, and one so --interesting as you, I thought I must've died and gone to heaven," he explained, spluttering a little. "You saved my life and I'm in your debt... but I can't breathe anywhere but this air pocket. I mean, I won't be of much use, but I'll definitely try my best..."

By the sound of it, the storm continued to rage over their heads but they remained protected by the rocky cove and all its crags. The cave didn't seem the most hospitable place to sleep, being cold and damp and almost pitch black, but he couldn't refuse the offer. He was still dazed, though at the mention of food, he thought that a warm meal would do a world of good.

"Well, there's something I might be able to do about the breathing thing," Arthur said, cheeks warming up at the flattery. Just because he wasn't used to it, nothing to do with the fact that Alfred wasn't half bad looking. "But it takes a while to make. Wait here, I'll see if I can find something to make you more comfortable." He quickly vanished under the water, making sure to brush against the bio luminescent plants that lined his walls.

"Alright I'll--"

He watched as the handsome creature disappeared and marvelled at the glowing flora that lit up the creature's home and made the water and cave shimmer. With what little strength he had, Alfred hoisted himself onto a rock, pulling his feet up to it. Knowing he'd only be weighed down by them, he stripped off his shoes and socks and shirt and rung the water from them--then he took his waterlogged notebook. The pages were wet and the paintings were in various states of ruin, but most of what he'd written was simply smudged if not untouched, and what was blotted out could be fixed. That he left open to dry. His pocketwatch wasn't entirely ruined as it'd been shut tight. He breathed a thankful sigh of relief and let it rest next to his notebook, along with his pencil and a soggy chunk of charcoal.

Alfred looked over his soaked belongings and then at the shimmering water--which seemed to be warmer here, for some unknown reason--and thanked his lucky stars this creature decided to spare his life, rather than drag him to a watery grave.

Arthur came back after a few minutes with an arm load of things he'd picked up here and there, largely from cargo ships that hadn't tied down their crates securely enough. Including, luckily for Alfred, a wool blanket still well sealed in a plastic bag, and a package of camp burners. He'd played with them a bit, liking how they effected the plants he used in some of his potions. "Here, these should help."

Alfred's cellphone was absolutely ruined too, and he doubted even a bowl of rice could save it from the harsh saltwater. The lifejacket that had filled with water when he'd been thrown from the ship was discarded with his shirt, but his military tags remained draped around his neck, clinking quietly when he moved. Even Navy training hadn't prepared him for a life experience like this.

He took the blanket and camp burners, nodding to his savior. "Thanks, thanks so much..." he said, only then remembering that these must have been taken from wrecks. The pause he took was noticeable and his movements slowed. It felt wrong, and cruel, but the eventual warmth of the blanket and the burners beckoned.

He cast his gaze back to Arthur. Alfred's eyes were as blue as a clear sky over the seas, or the aqua blue of the summer shallows in clearer waters, and in the dark of the caves the light from the plants glinted off them pleasantly.

"Really, thank you. So, um, what should I call you? I'm... Alfred. Alfred Jones. Just Al is okay though."

"I think I'll stick with Alfred," Arthur said, cheeks darkening in the pale light of his glowing underwater plants. "I'm Arthur."

The hesitation hadn't been missed either. "If it makes you feel better, most of the human things I have aren't from wrecks. Your merchants are sloppy with the knot work sometimes."

"I know you're just saying that. It's okay. I mean, yeah I know there's a lotta human garbage in the ocean, I just uh-- Nevermind! Anyway..." Alfred laughed lightly and shrugged off the awkward feelings of remorse and foreboding. His sense of mortality was quite acute though, and the feelings lingered despite his best efforts to ignore them.

He decided a change of subject might be a good idea. "I don't think I can thank ya enough for saving my life," he added, removing his diving wristwatch. It was supposed to be waterproof up to a depth of 100 meters, so double hoorah for both his timepieces--another reason to smile. He tried in vain to hide being shaken up, but he was clearly not a fragile person, still full of spirit and a little sense of humor.

"Y'know, I'm surprised you have such a normal sounding name. I figured if mermaids--uh merpeople really did exist then you wouldn't be speaking English, and you'd have names humans aren't good at pronouncing. It's probably better y'all aren't accepted by modern science though, but uh... I did find these..."

Alfred flipped through his journal and pulled out a few mertail scales he'd kept tucked away. They matched Arthur.

"Never did see scales as amazing as these."

Arthur huffed at being doubted like that. "Once the potion is ready, I'll show you where I found them and you'll see. I don't like digging around ships with bodies floating in them anymore than you would," he said, glancing at the journal that Alfred had pulled out. He immediately paused, looking at the green and gold scales in Alfred's hand. And abruptly blushed.

"Well, you've probably never seen mermaid scales, that's all. They're nothing special."

"Look man, I'm a scientist, and these are pretty damn special to me," Alfred shrugged. He placed the scales on the journal and squinted at Arthur thoughtfully.

"They're just something that probably scraped off when I brushed against you silly boat," Arthur said with an embarrassed grumble, acknowledging that they were from his own tail. "The fish usually eat them, that's why you don't see them everywhere."

"The way you say it makes it sound like they're gross," he replied, sounding incredulous. They were shimmering and just... fascinating. Just like Arthur.

"I don't think you're gross."

He flushed, dunking further down into the water in embarrassment. "I'm just saying they're better when they're still..." Still on his own damn tail. Arthur coughed. "Nevermind."

Alfred tore into the package and wrapped himself in the blanket for warmth. It was huge, and warm and dry, and he sighed happily. "Still what? Still attached?"

Sure he was in the blanket, but he leaned forward and as he stared, fascinated, he reached out and stroked a patch of scales on Arthur's chest.

"Well they're still living and properly oiled then," Arthur said before freezing at the touch. The merman stared at him before looking down at that hand. "Just what do you think you're doing?!"

"Oh!" Alfred withdrew immediately and wrapped himself back in the blanket, blushing. "Sorry, I just get really interested in something and then I do stuff without thinking... Hey do you think you or someone else might find my glasses?"

He hastily changed the subject as he tried to pad himself dry, and avoided crossing gazes with Arthur very obviously.

Arthur's cheeks went red before he moved back. "Sure, I'll give it a shot. Stay here." As if there was really anywhere else Alfred could go. Ducking under the surface, he swam out of the shelter for the area he'd found Alfred. Trying not to think of the other man's touch on his scales.

"I can't GO anywhere! Ugh..."

Alfred curled up in the blanket, certain that if he didn't make it back to the coast in a few days he'd be declared lost at sea--dead, basically. Not that it mattered. He was so bent on work that his life was actually pretty lonely, but that wasn't something he usually ever wanted to think about.

He waited for Arthur to return and leaned against the rock wall feeling sore, cold, and completely exhausted. Mermaids. Okay, merpeople. Who'd have thought?

The merman was gone for a while, understandably since he had a large possible area to search. Alfred was just lucky that he actually knew what glasses were and therefore what to keep an eye out for.

When he did return, there was a pair held carefully in one hand.

He was honestly surprised when Arthur came back--not that he doubted he'd return, but that he'd return with his glasses. By then he'd begun to nod off, but he perked right up and plucked them gently from Arthur before he started drying and cleaning them, and then he put them on.

"Yeahhh!! Thanks, Arthur! Now I can see you a lot better," Alfred said, smiling gratefully.

"Well that's good," Arthur said, folding his arms over the rocks where they rose up out of the water to look at Alfred. "Human eyes must be pretty delicate, if so many of you need those things to see."

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❝mermaids & and land dwellers❞

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